


Cabin in the Woods

by sempaiko



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cabins, M/M, Park Rangers, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Roy - Freeform, Smut, Some Plot, Some angst, all the sex, excessive use of the word 'fuck', human!zeb, okay -there's plot, porn!, smut with... feelings?, the best oc ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:02:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28542237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sempaiko/pseuds/sempaiko
Summary: Park Ranger Zeb Orrelios found nothing redeemable in Deputy Alexsandr Kallus - at least until he finds himself snowed in with him. Stuck together in his cabin, they find out more about each other than they had bargained for...
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 29
Kudos: 126





	1. The Date

**Author's Note:**

> AKA "Lumberjack Fantasy" 
> 
> Thanks so much for the support, comments, and motivation HixyStix and Mudkipwrites! 
> 
> Roy and The Cowboy belong to Mudkipwrites. Thanks for letting me borrow them!

* * *

Zeb sat at the bar of _The_ _Cowboy_ , a casual and low-key establishment he was starting to frequent more and more often. Six months in town and his new position with the park rangers saw him busy with adjusting to a new job and a new way of life. Things were beginning to finally settle now, and while Zeb liked hanging around his coworkers, sometimes he needed some more _alone_ time.

He looked around the sparse bar scene -not an uncommon sight, as Lothal was a small town nestled in the grand and scenic Geonosis mountains. Other than the seasonal resort influx of tourists and hikers, Lothal was a pretty quiet place to live. But that also didn't bode well for the singles crowd, let alone the kind looking for same sex partners.

"There he is, my lumberjack fantasy!" He was greeted with a loud and boisterous voice. Zeb couldn't help but smile at the blond bartender, who had deemed them friends the moment he had first stepped into the place, _one_ month ago.

"Heya Roy," Zeb replied, used to the nickname, but still a bit self conscious about it. However, he really couldn't blame him; he sure looked the part with his thick jeans, heavy flannel, and dark (but freshly trimmed) beard.

"You look nice for tonight, big guy," Roy said with a wink. Zeb drummed his fingers on the wooden countertop nervously. Roy, bold as ever, placed his hands atop his and gave them a friendly squeeze. "Don't worry, he's gonna fall in love instantly!"

"Stop." Zeb rubbed the back of his neck, trying to calm his worry. He hadn't dated for years, not counting the flings in between. The idea of being set up on a blind date had its own thrill, but it was also nerve wracking.

"I won't stop, not when you look and smell like that. What is that, a new cologne?" Roy leaned forward across the bar top to get a better whiff. "You're pulling out all the stops, huh?"

"It's just cologne," Zeb rumbled, now wishing he hadn't put on the strong smelling scent at all. He had only sprayed one spritz, but it had clearly been more than enough. "You really won't give me any hints of who this guy is?"

"He's my cousin. His name is Alex."

"You already told me that. Anything else?" Zeb prided himself in being prepared for any situation. Since he had been a first responder, having to be thrown into the unexpected should have been easy, but he was having a hard time at the moment.

"We've been told we look like twin brothers, if that helps," Roy said with a shrug of one shoulder. "Just give him a chance, Zebby. That's all I ask. He's been having a rough time adjusting too."

Zeb nodded and took a steadying breath. Before he could say anything else, Roy's eyes darted to the entrance and the bartender began to bounce in excitement.

"There he is!" Roy whispered and waved the person over.

When Zeb turned to look, he couldn't help but curse under his breath. "Oh, _shit_."

Approaching them was an unfortunately familiar man, _deputy_ Kallus, of the local law enforcement of Lothal. He had never seen the man out of uniform, but his casual, so very _nicely_ fitted attire did nothing to soften his already biased opinion of the stuck-up bastard. He could admit, grudgingly _had admitted_ , that Kallus was an attractive man, but that didn't dampen the animosity.

The sentiment was definitely returned, if the deep scowl that formed as soon as their eyes locked had anything to say about it.

Oblivious, or willingly oblivious, Roy kept waving Kallus over. "Alex! Come on over, don't be shy!"

Zeb snorted. Shy was definitely not the reason for his hesitant steps up to the bar, he was sure of that.

"Fitzroy, you can't be serious," Kallus said warily, bypassing any pleasantries Zeb's way. Not like he expected any anyway, not after the last time they had a run in. "Him?"

Roy made an offended sound and reached across the bar to smack Kallus in the arm, hard. "I've _told you,_ never to use my full name! And yes this is serious, yes him - _what_ is your problem?"

Zeb made another grunt and said, "his problem's the same as mine."

Roy looked between them and squinted. "Wait -do y'all know each other already?"

"We are _acquainted_." Kallus scoffed and folded his arms across his well-toned chest. That white dress shirt was doing _every bit_ of his body justice but Zeb forced his mind to remember who it belonged to.

Zeb rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Well, this is a good thing, right?" Roy asked, sounding like he was desperate to ease the rising tension.

"No," both Zeb and Kallus said in unison, to which they both glared at each other.

"Well!" Roy let out a scoff and put his hands on his hips. "Listen, I don't know what this is all about, but I put a lot of work into this date-"

"No you didn't," Kallus grumbled, but Roy raised a finger to him.

"-and! You, _Alexsandr_ , owe me one, so you better sit your ass down and at least _try_ for fifteen minutes!" Roy then turned his attention to Zeb. "And you. You always keep your word, isn't that right? Will you do the honorable thing and try if he does?"

Zeb bit the inside of his cheek and weighed his options. In the end, if Kallus was also going to do the honorable thing and stay -if only for the sake of his debt to his cousin- then he could suck it up too. Fifteen minutes couldn't be that bad, right? "Yeah, I'll do the honorable thing -if _he_ does."

Kallus haughtily pulled the stool out next to Zeb and sat into the seat, pointedly pushing up his sleeve just enough to note the time and begin the countdown. Zeb rolled his eyes, but also made note using the big metal clock above the bar.

"Great!" Roy exclaimed, and quickly poured a bourbon neat for Kallus and Zeb's usual lager on tap. He sauntered away after, making the 'eyes-on-you' gesture at Kallus as he went.

Zeb sighed and took a long gulp of his drink, downing a good half of it. He watched Kallus swirl his bourbon within his glass. "So," Zeb started and leaned on the bar so that he faced him, "you're gay."

"How perceptive," Kallus replied dryly, finally taking a small sip of his drink.

"Did you know I was?" Zeb asked, not finishing with: _when we had that shouting match last week._

"Even if I did, do you think that would have changed the way we interacted?" Kallus asked and Zeb thought of that a moment.

"I dunno, maybe," Zeb admitted, though he suspected that no, he probably wouldn't have acted or treated him any differently. Deputy Kallus was an asshole, just like the rest of the law enforcement of Lothal.

"No, I didn't know." Kallus swiveled in his own stool and faced him. His blond hair was a little more relaxed than the slicked-back and more polished look than Zeb had seen him wearing before.

“So, you’re new here too? Wouldn’t have thought that -you acted like you owned the town last week,” Zeb said, and couldn’t help the bite. In reality, he knew exactly how long he had been in Lothal, because his fellow rangers had told him as much.

Kallus glared at him, and Zeb could see in his honey-colored eyes the war he was having to decide whether or not to engage. Ultimately, and with a glance over to his cousin, he simply replied: “I’ve been here nearly a month now.”

Zeb decided maybe he should play nice too, despite their antagonism. Honor, and all that. “Yeah and where’d you move from? I’m guessing big city, with _that_ accent.”

The other man raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. He took another sip of his bourbon, and Zeb tried to ignore the way his pretty eyes matched the drink.

“Coruscant," Kallus supplied after a pause.

Zeb nodded knowingly, a smug smile tugging at his mouth. The big city alright. Coruscant was the biggest capital city on this side of the continent, especially known for its high crime rates and political corruption, not to mention a [Sheevbucks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421868) on every corner.

"If you're having trouble adjusting," Zeb began, remembering what Roy had told him, "just keep in mind that Lothal will never be Coruscant."

"I know that," Kallus sneered.

"Not so sure -with your big-city attitude," Zeb folded his arms across his chest.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means. Your 'shoot-first, ask-questions-later’ mentality.”

“There was a fucking _bear_ terrorizing citizens!” Kallus quietly exploded, seething through his teeth, trying not to cause a scene.

“It was terrorizing no one!” Zeb growled back, the argument starting up right where it had a week ago. “The ones who reported it even later said they had exaggerated. But you didn’t take the time to _listen_ , did you?”

“I was doing my duty, protecting the citizens of this town, no thanks to your band of rangers. If it had been up to your lot, it would have roamed the streets as it pleased! At least I was making actual decisions and being expedient about it.”

“ _It_ was a _her_ , and we were busy actually _talking_ to people and getting tranquilizers arranged.”

“Any hesitation and someone could have been hurt, or worse, killed,” Kallus heatedly said. “I protect _people_ , first and foremost.”

Zeb took a deep breath. “Look, mate, I get that. But she had cubs. She was prob’ly just protecting them. Those hikers admitted they were trying to get pics of them. She wasn’t even going _near_ town!”

“Close enough,” Kallus retorted. Zeb had to admit that it had indeed been close enough, as it fell under their jurisdiction. This was the cause of much of the ire between the rangers and the local law enforcement. It was something Zeb had learned very early on, moreso last week when deputy Kallus was in charge that night, giving the order to shoot the bear on sight.

“We found those cubs, yesterday, by the way, or what was left of ‘em. They were too young to survive on their own, it seemed.”

Kallus’ broad shoulders, usually so tightly wound, deflated and Zeb saw the tiniest spark of regret in his amber eyes. Zeb felt like he should have enjoyed the small ‘victory’ but all it did was make him feel worse about the whole situation.

Glancing at the clock, they had less than five minutes left. Zeb let out a bitter laugh. "Guess this date is officially ruined."

"We have three more minutes until it's truly official," Kallus remarked. "But it never stood a chance, did it?"

Zeb watched as he gripped his glass and downed the contents in one, wincing gulp.

"Yeah, guess it didn't," Zeb agreed. Even though he was keyed up from arguing with Kallus again, he still felt a pang of disappointment. He was hoping to make a connection tonight. From what it looked like, so did Kallus.

Kallus idly tilted his empty glass in his long fingers a few times before setting it back down on the bar top and sliding it across, away from himself. He watched as he made a face to someone behind him -he guessed Roy.

"I apologize for my cousin, and this ill-fated attempt," Kallus said in a low voice.

"He didn't know, I don't blame him," Zeb said, and while that was true, it still left a bad taste in his mouth. Why would Roy think they would be such a good match? A small town park ranger, and a former big city law enforcement officer? He should have known they'd clash, even without their particular history.

Almost as if he was keeping track of the time as keenly as they were, Roy sidled up right at the fifteen minute mark. He looked disheartened; no doubt he had heard some of their arguing. Despite that, he still cheerily asked, "So, how is the night going?"

Kallus gave Zeb a cursory look and replied, "It appears to be over."

Just as Kallus was reaching for his wallet, Zeb beat him to it and plopped more than enough to cover his _and_ Kallus' drinks on the bar as he stood up from the stool. Kallus glared at the money like it was personally offending him. Maybe it was. But no one could say Garazeb Orrelios wasn't a gentleman.

He gave Roy a kinder gaze than he left Kallus with. "Sorry you had to go to all this trouble, Roy. See you 'round."

"Alright, see you big guy, and it was no trouble," Roy replied sadly and waved as Zeb turned to leave.

Zeb brushed by Kallus without so much as a goodbye. He had reached his quota of the honorable gentleman for the night. Besides, Kallus hadn't had the decency to utter _him_ a farewell, so really he was just returning the lack of courtesy.

As he was leaving through the heavy door, he thought he could hear the deep timbre of Kallus' voice snap something at Roy, to which he heard an audible _smack._ Zeb managed one smile for the night, as he headed to his truck and then to his empty cabin, alone.

* * *


	2. The Bahryn Trail

* * *

Well, _fuck_.

Kallus had repeated the swear in his mind ever since they left the ranger station together. The most awkward of rides _up_ to the Bahryn trail was followed by the most awkward of hikes _along_ the Bahryn trail.

But when the Mayor's own kids were missing, last seen going for a camping trip and hiking up the Geonosis mountains, one had to do their duty. He couldn't go alone, along one of the mountain's most dangerous trails, even if he was willing to do it. Even Kallus had the sense that that was a bad idea, especially with a winter storm rolling into the area.

The Mayor's task force had paired the local law enforcement with the more experienced park rangers quickly and sent them on their way, without any room for argument. Not that Kallus would have _voiced_ his displeasure at being paired with one Garazeb Orrelios, but surely they could have sent Lyste or Titus instead of himself.

He thought everyone knew they had animosity ever since the bear incident, but no one knew about their failure of a blind date. That was, unless Orrelios had spoken out about it to his fellow rangers. If he had, they made no indication of it when they all met up earlier in the day; rangers _and_ officers at the ranger's station.

Maybe they had some decorum after all. Either that or everyone was too busy thinking of the Mayor's missing kids. Something _he_ should be focusing on at the moment, and _not_ the way Orrelios looked in his fitted dark green trousers from behind. Simply put: _fuck_.

"Tristan!" Orrelios bellowed out, his hands cupped over his mouth. "Sabine!"

The Wren kids. Kallus wouldn't call them troublemakers per se, but they did tend to cause the local law a headache or two; or at least that's what he had heard. He had yet to experience it for himself, until today.

Kallus stopped at the same time as Orrelios, and they both listened for any shouts or cries for help. Nothing answered them but the natural sounds of the forest, accentuated by the strong, cold winds of the oncoming storm system.

Already there were a few flakes of snow drifting down from the thick clouds above. It was starting to get dark, and with it the temperature was starting to drastically drop. Still, the natural landscape was beautiful; something the glistening towers of steel and glass could never compare to.

The weather in Coruscant could be cold and Kallus was no stranger to snow and ice, but this was his first time experiencing it in the mountains, where the uneven terrain was much more treacherous than the straight grids of the city.

He was reminded of this the moment his boot caught and slid on a rock that was slicker than it looked. It was a small fumble, and hadn't even slowed his stride, but it had obviously alerted the ranger ahead of him.

"Careful back there, wouldn't want to knock that ridiculous hat off your head," Orrelios remarked. Kallus scowled first up at said campaign hat and then at the back of the ranger's head.

"It is standard issue and functional, it doesn't need to be high fashion," Kallus bit out. He wanted to comment on the ranger's own simple beanie, but honestly, it _did_ look a lot comfier than his own. His ears were getting quite cold. "Rangers also wear these, I've seen that Jarrus fellow wear one often enough."

"Heh, sometimes I think he does that just to piss _you_ lot off."

"I don't understand this _rivalry_ or whatever it is between our two organizations. If anything we should get along, given our roles for the town of Lothal."

"Kinda like how we're both gay and can't stand one another?" Orrelios retorted and Kallus felt a pang of rejection he had thought he was over.

Kallus may have butted heads with the rangers from the get-go, more specifically with his present company, but that didn't mean he _hated_ them. It wasn't even that he couldn't stand Orrelios; he had to admit he was still hopelessly attracted to the man. But two months since the bear and their failure of a date had given him time to dwell and replay the incidents over and over.

Before he could find the right words to say, the other man stopped in his tracks and gave a long sigh, his breath a large cloud in the cold air.

Orrelios turned to face him. "I _have_ been kind of an ass. But so have you. Let’s just… look, mate, I-"

" _Let's just_ -focus on finding these kids," Kallus said, trying to sound as diplomatic as he could, but also cutting him off. "Then we can focus on our rapport."

"Yer right. _This time_.” Orrelios turned before anything else could be said and continued to call into the forest. “Tristan! Sabine!”

Kallus glowered moodily at the ranger as they continued on.

They searched the trail and just off the trail for a while longer without interruption, the snow and wind growing stronger as they hiked higher up the mountain. He had to rely on Orrelios for all of the directions, blindly following behind.

“You’re sure we won’t get lost ourselves? I can’t even tell where we are at the moment,” Kallus said, wiping at his chilled nose.

“It’s kinda my job to know the park and its trails, y’know,” the ranger said with exasperation. “Besides, I live nearby, so I’m pretty acquainted with the area anyway. Don’t worry, the only people who are lost are those kids.”

Kallus was about to say something about how he was almost as new to the area as he was, when both their radios squawked and buzzed with a voice.

“All rang- we found- ss. Repeat we -nd th- ss. Head -ck to -ss.” The broken voice was interlaced with heavy static. Kallus and Orrelios looked at each other simultaneously.

Kallus was quick to bring his hand up to the radio at his shoulder, but Zeb had been just as quick with his handheld one at his belt. When they both pressed the button at the same time, a loud whine of feedback made them both wince.

“Back up, would you?” Orrelios snapped.

Deciding to relent, Kallus took a couple steps back. It _had_ been Jarrus’ voice and not any of his own supervisors or peers, and while they were working together, the jurisdiction clearly favored the rangers. They were on a trail in _their_ park after all. The police escorts were just a request by the mayor.

“Repeat, Kanan, we didn’t catch that,” Orrelios spoke into his radio. There was still a bit of feedback and he waved a hand at Kallus to keep backing up.

He did as he was instructed, also turning down his own radio. If that was Jarrus to tell them they found the kids and they could start heading back, all the better. He would back up as much as he could if it meant some good news.

Something snapped under his heel and his foot tried to correct itself and slipped. Before he knew it, he was falling backwards. It all happened fast, and he was unable to stop or get his bearings enough to know exactly what was happening, but he did know when he landed on his right knee wrong and pain ignited throughout his body.

He hadn’t realized if he had screamed or not, the pain too much for him to focus clearly. He rolled to a stop _somewhere_ down the side of the trail’s steep incline, on a flatter length of ground, lodged into dirt and snow.

Kallus was able to roll to his side, relieving the pressure on his right leg, where he must have hit it against a rock or tree.

“ _Fuck_!” He hissed, gripping at his leg and clenching his teeth in pain.

“Hey! Kallus!” He heard from above him, somewhere. “Are you okay?”

“Shit, shit, _shit_!” Was all he could manage, and an uncharacteristic whimper escaped his lips. He didn’t have time to be embarrassed -even if his ego was damaged- because he was in pain and didn’t know the extent of his injuries. He didn’t think his leg was broken, but something was definitely _off._

“Kallus! Answer me, mate!”

“Y-yes, I'm here. I think I’ve -hurt myself,” Kallus managed, his voice weaker than he anticipated.

“Don’t panic, alright? I’m coming down to look. I’m coming for ya.”

Kallus nodded, which he thought was a silly thing to do, since Orrelios was unlikely to see him.

The snow falling was already beginning to cover his prone form by the time the park ranger got down to him. It wasn’t a far way, now that he was able to watch someone carefully make their way down the incline, but still was laden with woodsy obstacles -all things Kallus had managed to hit on his way down.

When Orrelios settled down next to him, he had managed to sit up into a more upright angle. The ranger gave him a look over carefully, first assessing the damage on a purely superficial level.

“Well, I don’t think you’ve injured your back seriously if yer sitting up like that,” the ranger remarked. “Where are you hurting most?”

“My leg, my knee,” He nodded at his right leg.

“Can you feel your toes, can you move them?” Orrelios asked, his big gloved hands already feeling around and poking at his calf.

“Yes, I can move them.” Kallus was barely able to move his toes, which were trapped in heavy socks and heavier boots. But he _was_ able to feel them move, which he was grateful for.

“That’s good,” Orrelios said as he continued to work from his ankle upwards.

When he got around his knee, Kallus cried out and bit his lip to stop himself from crying out more. Big hazel eyes, a soft green now in the fading light and falling snow, locked onto his own with concern. It was strange to see the ranger fix him with such a look, after so many that were quite the opposite. Until that point, he had wondered if the burly man was even capable of affording one his way.

“Is it broken?” Kallus asked, afraid of the answer.

“Dunno. I need to get a better look at it. Might be dislocated or sprained.” The big man ducked his head before looking up at him with a frown. “You wearing thermals?”

Kallus frowned back at him. “Yes, why?”

“I’m gonna need to pull them and yer pants down so I can look.”

“You can’t be serious,” Kallus sputtered, though in the back of his mind he knew it was perfectly reasonable. However, this was Orrelios; someone he was _still_ attracted to.

"Look, unless you think you can get up right this moment and show me you are okay, I _need_ to look. So it's either pull them down or I cut them open."

"Fine," Kallus huffed and tried to unbutton his pants. Between his gloves and his shaking hands he didn't succeed well. He wasn't sure why he was shaking, either, and blamed it on adrenaline from his fall.

His whole body was beginning to ache, and he was sure he was bruised all over, but easing his pants and thermals down was an effort that pained him greatly. This was also exacerbated by the fact that bare skin was now exposed to the biting wind and wet, cold snow.

Orrelios took over and gingerly pulled down his garments the rest of the way past his knees to bunch up on his calves. He almost couldn't look, but some morbid fascination made him stare at his mangled knee. Or at least it appeared to be mangled. Something was definitely wrong, besides the bruising and redness.

"Dislocated kneecap. Not a bad one either. Should be able to pop it back in," Orrelios said, pulling off his gloves. "Might be hairline fractures, but nothing serious I don't think. Coulda been a lot worse, though. You're lucky."

Kallus snorted. "Lucky!" Then he gasped when the other man cupped the back of his injured knee with one hand, the other on his thigh to straighten the leg out as much as he could. It hurt but his hands were also warm.

"Ready?" Orrelios asked, his hands then moving to hover just over the protruding piece of bone. Kallus panicked a moment, unprepared for the amount of pain he was about to endure.

He shook his head, his hands coming up to push Orrelios back or at the very least grab for leverage. "W-wait! Can you-"

"I _really_ like your underwear."

" _What_ -ah!" Kallus cried out as a shock of pain exploded through his leg. "Fuck fuck - _fuck_ why…"

He collapsed backwards into the hard ground, cushioned by the layering snow. He was breathing hard, his hands clamped over his head, by the time he got his bearings back and sat back up.

“You could have done that counting trick -fuck!” Kallus growled, but had to admit the pain was already not as bad as before.

Orrelios was digging in his small emergency pack, and soon pulled out a roll of splinting material, bright orange, with some tape. "What, the thing where I say I'm gonna count to three and then do it on two?"

"Yes, precisely," Kallus said while straining through the lingering pain and discomfort. He watched as the ranger put the splinting pieces on either side of his kneecap and then began to tape them into place. He wouldn't be able to bend his knee much at all, but he supposed that was the point.

"You woulda caught on. And I really do like 'em, though. Wouldn't have ever thought _those_ were on under everything else."

Kallus didn't think himself capable of blushing at a time like this, but he felt heat rise to his cheeks nonetheless, and he got defensive.

"They're not mine. They're Roy's. Got mixed up in the wash and I was in a hurry this morning," Kallus explained, though the embarrassment continued its course. But Orrelios _had_ said he liked them. "I did not expect to be exposing myself today."

"Well, let's get you covered back up and standing, eh?" Orrelios said, and Kallus couldn't help but appreciate the sudden gentleness he was displaying.

Before he was fully prepared, strong arms and warm hands were wrapped around his body. On instinct, Kallus startled, but quickly held onto what he could as he was hoisted upright.

Just looking at Orrelios, and he _had_ looked, he knew he was a muscular man. But that didn't quite prepare him for _feeling_ those arms and muscles in action for himself. Kallus was no regular size either. He worked out and was taller than most, so the ease at which he was righted had his head spinning for other reasons than his fall.

When his thermals and pants were back on, tight around the splint on his knee, he tested out putting weight on that leg. While there was definitely pain, he was relieved to find he was able to with relative ease. Then again, there _was_ a comforting weight of two big hands at his waist, making sure he was stable.

When one of those hands came up to brush a damp strand of hair from his face and ghost across a cheek, he damn near lost his footing again. Orrelios was looking his face over, and soon their eyes met and Kallus was once more surprised by the concern in his eyes. Then the ranger was pulling off his beanie and securing it over his head. The warmth on his ears almost made him shudder.

“I dunno where your hat is, and I’m not searching for it. We gotta get moving now if we hope to make it back to my truck before it gets too dark,” Orrelios explained and began to put back on his gloves and gather his pack.

“The -the kids?” Kallus managed to ask.

“From what I heard, before ya fell, it was that they found them. I’ll verify once we’re back to the truck with a better signal. With you injured, we won’t do much more good in the search anyway,” the ranger said with authority, leaving no room for negotiations.

There wasn’t much to argue, Kallus relented internally. He did feel bad, however, that he _had_ injured himself and that they couldn’t continue to search if they hadn’t been found.

“The one good thing is that if we continue down a little more, we’ll be back on the trail and that much closer to where we parked,” the ranger said, at his side and helping him as they made their way down.

Every time he put pressure on his leg, there was an ache of pain, but he was able to endure it enough. This was especially true since he had a strong and reliable arm around his waist.

The wind blew hard and began to deposit quite a bit of snow over the mountain and their trail, but they soon managed to get to the checkpoint, where Orrelios' large truck sat, covered in its own thick layer of snow, about an hour later.

Kallus was breathing hard, leaning heavily against the passenger side of the truck, waiting as the ranger pushed the snow and ice off and began to warm the car up.

"Get in already, should be heatin' up in there soon,'' Orrelios called from the other side. "Or do you need help gettin’ in?"

"I can manage," Kallus replied. He opened the door and used the last of his strength to lift himself into the truck. It was a good thing he was in shape, he thought, or he might just have needed that help.

The emergency splinting material made it hard to fit his long leg in, being unable to bend it properly, but he managed to sit somewhat askew and still fit.

Orrelios was in after a few more moments and he shook his head, snow falling and melting into the fabric lined seats. He fiddled with the radio attached to the dash for a moment before picking up the handheld piece.

"Kanan, this is Zeb, can you hear me?" He spoke into it.

There was a long stretch as they both waited for a response. Meanwhile, the wind and snow pummeled the outside of the truck, the rhythmic heartbeat of the windshield wipers steady against the onslaught.

"We were getting worried there buddy!" Came the voice of ranger Jarrus on the other end. The static was still prevalent, but significantly better, given the large antenna attached to the truck itself. "We found the kids. But I think I heard you say that deputy Kallus took a fall. He okay? You need the rescue squad?"

"Dislocated kneecap. And no need for the squad. I've set it back. He's walking at least, but will probably need a once over by a medic or the hospital in Garel at some point." Orrelios gave a sideways look over at Kallus.

"That's good to hear. You two better head on back. It's getting pretty bad out there. Be careful, the roads that far up the mountain are bound to be the worst affected."

"Copy that, I'll check in every fifteen minutes or so." Orrelios hung up the end and rolled his shoulders, like he was preparing to wrangle a great beast. "This is gonna be dicey."

Not needing to be warned twice, Kallus pulled his seatbelt on and watched as the ranger did the same. Then Kallus looked forward, glaring out into the dark landscape -lightened only by the headlights and the bright and reflective snow. He could barely make out where the road was and he truly hoped the ranger knew them well enough to get them down the mountain in one piece.

"Please don't get us killed Orrelios."

“Zeb,” the ranger offered, putting the car into gear, “if we're gonna die, you can call me Zeb.”

“Very well. Please don't get us killed... _Zeb_ ,” Kallus replied smartly. He couldn't help it; he was cold, his body ached, and he was about to be subjected to one of the most nerve wracking rides of his life.

"I won't… I hope."

Well, _fuck._

* * *


	3. The Cabin

* * *

The decision halfway down the mountain that the roads were too dangerous was not one Zeb made lightly. They were closer to his place than they were to the ranger station by a long way. And the storm was getting worse.

When his truck had fishtailed very close to a steep cliff, _again_ , he made sure to take the final turn to go to the cabin community where his home was located, nestled in a relatively flat area of the mountain.

There were about twenty other cabins, separated enough for a good amount of privacy, but close enough to make for neighborly visits -if one was willing to hike the mile distance. It was quaint, it was quiet; something Zeb was not used to but thought might be nice. There was the occasional lonely night that he spent dreaming of a warm body next to his, of soft and sleepy smiles in the morning, and of lazy afternoon sex by the fireplace.

He knew his driveway by heart now, so winding around trees was the easy part. The hard part would be to break the news to deputy Kallus that he would be spending the next couple days alone with him, in his cabin, depending on the storm severity.

Almost on cue, Kallus leaned forward in his seat. "What -where are you going? Where are we?"

"Calm down, it's fine." He rolled under the carport and threw the truck into park and immediately went to the radio. "Kanan, this is Zeb."

The answer was almost instantaneous. "Zeb! You're late to check in. You alright?"

"Yeah, but the roads are too dangerous. I went to my place since we were comin' up on it. We're going to stay here, wait out the storm. Then I'll worry about getting Kallus back to town when things let up."

"Copy that," Kanan said and there was a crackle before he added, "have a good night."

To anyone else that would have seemed normal, but to Zeb he knew the hint of a teasing edge that was laced in Kanan's usually calm and collected voice. He chanced a look over to his companion in the passenger’s seat. Kallus had a scowl on his face, but he also looked exhausted and resigned to his fate.

"Executive decision, mate. Those roads were just too dangerous, sorry,” Zeb offered to the man by way of explanation.

"I suppose there was no choice." Kallus took off his seatbelt and opened the door to exit, strong arms easing his way down from the tall truck.

Zeb quickly followed suit, going to unlock the side door that led into the cabin from the carport. Kallus was making his way around, one steadying hand on the truck’s frame. Zeb had to hand it to Kallus -he was one tough bastard.

His pain tolerance showed when he had made the hike back down the Bahryn trail almost all on his own. While yes, nothing was broken, or hadn’t seemed to be broken, a dislocated patella was no rodeo -even if it was on the lower scales of injuries one could sustain. He was still tough; and that only added to his growing infatuation.

Because _fuck -_ the sight of those racy briefs (even if they weren’t his), not to mention his long, muscular legs…

He mentally slapped himself. He had to focus. It didn’t do well to want things he couldn’t have; shouldn’t have. This was _deputy_ Kallus, not Roy’s handsome cousin Alex -who he probably would have liked to get to know. This was a big city, trigger happy know-it-all asshole.

An asshole that was also hurt, somewhere new, and with a practical stranger at their house.

Zeb held out a hand to help Kallus up the two steps to the door. For a second he thought that the other man was going to swat it away, but after a moment of looking at the proffered hand, he took it and grunted and limped his way inside.

It was cool in the cabin, but a considerable amount warmer than outside. He flipped on a light, which illuminated most of the singular room that made up the open floor-plan of his home.

“I know it’s small, but bigger’n a studio apartment in town for the same amount,” Zeb explained, watching Kallus limp the few steps to the kitchenette to lean on a wooden chair at the small dining table. “Gimme your holster and jacket and uh -I’ll take my cap back.”

“Yes,” Kallus said absently and handed them over. He looked a right mess with his heavy jacket off and his hair sticking up all over the place when the beanie came off as well. His clothes were wet from melted snow and ice, and his cheeks were rosy above his mutton chops.

“You uh -wanna get cleaned up? The bathroom’s back there in the corner,” Zeb said and pointed to the door at the end of the kitchenette. “I’ll start a fire and get some dinner going.”

Kallus looked down at his disheveled self, simply nodded and with one hand on the kitchen counter against the wall, he began to make his trek over.

“Go ahead and remove the splint, I’ve got a knee brace that should keep things from movin’ round. We’ll put it on after you -uh- clean up. I’ll get you a change of clothes too,” Zeb said, feeling nervous. This was the first time he had a guest over, in a nonprofessional fashion, since he moved in. “Just holler if you need help.”

Kallus still barely responded and shut himself into the bathroom with a heavy close of the door.

Zeb deflated and tilted his chin up and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long night.

He hung up the jackets and removed his boots and went to fetch a change of clothes for Kallus -which consisted of some sweatpants and a simple ochre colored t-shirt.

When he heard his shower start to run, he briefly worried about the other man falling and further injuring himself, but after a good solid few minutes where that didn’t happen, he cracked open the door and set the clothes on the sink.

He got a fire going easily and even put some leftover beef stew into a pot to reheat by the time the water finally stopped in the shower. He could hear movement behind the door, and a heavy sigh over something he couldn’t see.

Zeb himself quickly changed into a more comfortable set of flannel bottoms and a henley shirt before rinsing his face in the kitchen sink. He could use a proper shower too, but it could wait.

Zeb was waiting awkwardly for the soup to heat up and for Kallus to emerge when he heard a rhythmic buzzing. His phone was on the counter where he could see it, and was silent. He followed the hum to the jackets hung up on the rungs on the wall besides the carport entrance. He felt the pockets and finally pulled out a cell phone out of Kallus’ jacket.

There was a (hilariously candid) picture of Roy illuminating the screen and the name ‘Fitzroy’ scrolled across it. Zeb _almost_ didn’t answer it, but at the last moment he slid a finger across the surface to accept the call.

“Heya Roy, it’s Zeb,” he answered. There was a pause.

“I didn’t dial the wrong number! What are you doing answering Alex’s phone? Where is he? Is he okay?” Roy fired off, and Zeb almost laughed that the two cousins sounded so alike in that moment.

Zeb rubbed the back of his neck. “Long story short, he’s staying at my place until the storm lets up. He's fine, mostly.”

“ _Mostly_? And you answered because…?”

“He’s in the bathroom, gettin’ cleaned up.” Zeb looked over at the door, wondering if he was finishing up in there. “He had a little bit of a fall up the Bahryn trail.”

“But he’s okay?”

“I said - _mostly_ …”

“You better tell me this ‘mostly’ business, Zeb!” The bartender exclaimed.

“He dislocated his kneecap and I’m sure he’s bruised a bit, maybe a sprained ankle, but other than that he’s fine. I swear it. I’m makin’ us some dinner right now.”

There was a loud huff of air from the other end. “Well… I hope you continue to be a perfect gentleman, especially after you _broke his heart_ on your not-a-date two months ago.”

Zeb frowned. “Broke his… what do you _mean_ ‘broke his heart’? He-”

The door to the bathroom slammed open. Zeb startled and blinked, wide-eyed, at Kallus in the doorway. The other man stormed over (as much as he could while limping) and snapped his hand out. Zeb relinquished the phone over to him and went to pretend the stew needed stirring.

Kallus spoke low into the phone, to which Zeb could hear Roy talking back loudly, almost completely audible from where he stood. He was telling Kallus something along the lines of keeping him updated every half hour.

“No, and I’m fine, I’m _fine_. I’ll call you in the morn -yes. _Yes_! Goodbye, _Fitzroy_.” Kallus sighed and there was a thunk as he set the phone down on a surface -probably the table.

“Sorry I answered that, I didn’t know when you were gonna be out. Figured he’d keep calling.” Zeb turned and took in the sight of Kallus in _his_ clothes. The shirt may have been a touch too big, but it still fit him nicely. The grey sweatpants were almost a perfect fit, the tie at the waist cinched a bit more than he did when he wore it.

Kallus ran a hand through his still-damp locks and huffed angrily, “Next time _let_ him keep calling.”

Freshly showered and clean, Zeb could make out a few nicks and bruises forming on his exposed pieces of skin. Even with his pissed-off scowl, he still looked softer than he had ever seen him. The change of clothes -his clothes- did wonders for him. And damn it all, if Zeb had thought he was handsome before, he was downright _gorgeous_ now.

Zeb cleared his throat and looked away, nervous that he was staring too much. What had they been talking about? Oh right, the phone call from Roy.

“Got it, won’t touch the bloody thing again,” Zeb grumbled and gestured to the table. “Have a seat and eat somethin’ -and then we’ll get that brace on.”

He served them both up some bowls of stew, cups of water and some slices of toast. The table was small, and Zeb chose the opposite side of Kallus, which only lent to them locking eyes with each other whenever they looked up at the same moment.

They were both finishing up when Kallus hesitated and asked, “What did he say to you? Roy?”

Zeb glanced up from his bowl to gauge Kallus’ face, but the other man was looking at his soup, his spoon shuffling around a piece of carrot. Zeb considered lying and saying he didn’t say a word, but he felt he had more honor than that, so he told the truth. “He said I broke your heart on that uh -blind date of ours.”

The spoon clinked loudly in the ceramic bowl. “I can’t believe he actually said that,” Kallus growled.

“Right? One would need a heart _to_ break,” Zeb said and immediately regretted it. Why was it he felt he needed to be a complete jerk? Deep down, he knew why; he was trying to push him away since he knew his attraction was only growing.

“I can assure you I _do_ have a heart, contrary to what you -and others- may think. It just wasn’t anywhere _near_ broken after _that_ night,” Kallus said, and shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth, chewing roughly.

“I’m sorry,” Zeb began, “for the way I’ve been acting.”

There, he said the thing he wanted to say back on the trail.

Kallus seemed to relax a bit, the tenseness of his chewing easing down. He swallowed and his long fingers loosened their hard grip on his utensil. His amber colored eyes met his, and no matter how many times it happened, it still took his breath away to look into their golden depths.

“You don’t need to be sorry, I should be,” Kallus said with surprising sincerity. “I’m new to this -this way of life. In the city, everything is such a blur -the sheer _speed_ at which it breathes and moves- is so different than it is here. If you want to do something, whether it’s grab a cup of coffee or chase a subject, you have to act and react _there_ and _then_ , or else it’s… gone.”

Zeb watched as the unmistakable flash of sadness and regret flitted across Kallus’ face.

Kallus continued on, “And the consequence of your actions is almost always unseen, buried; someone else’s problem, never your own… being _sorry_ doesn’t exist there. But I’m not in the city anymore, and I _am_ sorry -that the bear was killed, that I gave the order. I’m sorry the cubs died. I’m sorry I couldn’t be the date you were hoping for. I’m sorry for the inconvenience of sharing your home.”

 _He does have a heart,_ Zeb realized achingly, _and I did break it, didn’t I?_ While that may have felt good two months ago, hell even two hours ago, now it just seemed sad and pointless.

“You aren’t an inconvenience, mate,” Zeb said, and watched Kallus relax even further. “C’mon, if you’re finished, we can get that brace on you so your kneecap won’t go movin’ around. Go sit by the fire, I’ll get it.”

Kallus nodded and stood gingerly from the table, mindful of his knee, and limped his way over to the couch, a long mossy green piece that faced the fireplace.

Zeb put the dishes in the sink and went into the bathroom to fetch his large duffle of emergency supplies that included a variety of braces. Kallus had left a (neat) pile of clothes -his uniform- and a used towel in the corner. Zeb put them in the washing machine and set the appropriate cycle before heading back out with the bag of supplies.

Kicking aside the small coffee table, Zeb knelt on the floor in front of Kallus and positioned himself in front of the bad knee.

"Roll up the pants," he instructed. He watched as Kallus attempted to, but the fabric wasn't stretchy enough to go up the amount needed.

" _Fuck_ ," Kallus cursed under his breath and pushed the fabric back down to then reach for his waistband.

Zeb chuckled. "Not like I haven't seen 'em already."

"Yes but," he said as he slipped the sweatpants over his hips and the rest of the way down, "I _had_ hoped I was through flashing myself for the evening.”

Now in the comfort of his own home with proper lighting, Zeb noticed the bruising and swelling all down those lovely legs of his. Anti-inflammatories and an ice pack next, he told himself as he opened the brace to wrap around the knee. Out of the corner of his eye he saw those zebra striped briefs and he bit his lip, trying to focus on other things.

“You look good in ‘em,” Zeb said and winced. _That_ was not focusing on other things.

There was a pause as Kallus seemed to process this information. Then he said with an air of irritation, “They’re not mine, remember.”

“You don’t own a pair like it?” Zeb asked and winced again. Focus.

“No, they’re all quite _plain_. If you want flash, always look to Roy,” Kallus said with discomfort in his voice as Zeb tightened the velcro straps. “Perhaps _you_ _two_ make the better match.”

Zeb tilted his head and raised an eyebrow as he continued to adjust the brace. It wasn’t like he _hadn’t_ thought about that before. But he voiced the same conclusion he reached when he had first met the boisterously gay bartender, “He’s not my type.”

“You’re sure?” Kallus asked, not sounding convinced. “And what exactly _is_ your type?”

And wasn’t _that_ a loaded question. He never used to have a type. And for all that he denied it, he realized Kallus _was_ his type. Even when they had argued, even when he thought he hated the man, he was still attracted to him. Not even just physically (though he could admit to that just fueling the fire) because he had also seen a man with a wry sense of humor and a fierce dedication to his morals. And just recently, he saw a man remorseful of his actions; vulnerable even when he had no reason to be. He saw a man he wanted to get to know better, a man he _liked._

Instead of answering Kallus, he gently patted his uninjured knee and stood up. “I’m going to go grab you some meds and an ice pack.”

When he got back, Kallus had his sweats back on and he was testing out his leg’s mobility. He was bending it up and out, his brows furrowed as he watched the limited amount of movement. After he took the proffered pills and placed the ice pack on his knee, Kallus settled into the couch and picked up the conversation.

“If you hadn’t known me before that night -the night Roy set us up- how would the date have gone, you think?” Kallus asked, his face watching the fire and looking tired once more. It _had_ been quite the afternoon and evening.

“I dunno. Longer than fifteen minutes though,” Zeb replied and took a seat on the other end of the couch, a hand scratching into his scruffy beard. It was _just_ about time for a trim again, he thought to himself.

“One would hope so,” Kallus said. “I would probably ask what you did for a living. You would probably ask the same.”

“I’d ask what brought a big city cop to Lothal…”

“And I’d say some lie about wanting a change of pace.”

“Why lie?” Zeb squinted at that, looking over to Kallus.

“Because saying that your partner -whom you were secretly crushing on- was killed in the line of duty and every part of that hell-hole of a city was a reminder of it -would probably ruin the mood for the evening,” Kallus said heatedly before also adding, “All things not cohesive when one was looking to get laid.”

“ _That_ was your goal for the evening? Get laid?”

“The _goal_ was not to fall further into my grief. Roy was getting tired of me moping around the apartment every night. He thought meeting people, maybe a real relationship, might be _good_ for me." Kallus made a rueful grunt. "I was sure at the very least that I would get laid that night by mister _lumberjack fantasy_.”

“I’m not sure I’m the kind of guy to kiss on a first date, let alone do a one night stand. At least, not anymore,” Zeb said and shrugged. Roy's nickname, while flattering, was also embarrassing.

“Not anymore?” Kallus asked, finally turning a bit on the couch to face him. He adjusted the ice pack on his knee when he did so.

Zeb gave a small, nervous laugh. “Back in the day, when I was a firefighter, I kinda did the rounds -if you know what I mean.”

“Firefighter? But you’re a _ranger_ now. What made you change profession?” Kallus asked, and Zeb noted he didn’t linger on the fact that he had admitted to being promiscuous back in the day.

“Would you have asked that on our date?” Zeb countered.

“Maybe,” Kallus countered back.

“I probably would have lied about that myself. So I guess I can’t be surprised that you would have lied too.”

There was a pause, and then Kallus repeated his own words back, “Why lie?”

“Because saying that you lost your entire unit to a fire a few years ago -that survivor’s guilt is a _bitch-_ and that you couldn’t do your _job_ anymore because of the crippling fear that it would happen again… might kinda ruin the mood for the evening, eh?” Zeb stared at the flames licking up from the wood in the fireplace; warmth and destruction confined.

“So… we would have both lied to each other.” Kallus was picking at the ice pack’s edge absently.

“Yeah, guess so. Who knows then, maybe you _would_ have gotten laid after all.”

“Oh? Would we have made it back here or simply _fucked_ out back against your truck?”

“Too cold,” Zeb defended, though the thought of that stirred at something inside him.

“ _Inside_ the truck?” Kallus asked cheekily and Zeb scoffed.

“We wouldn’t have gone back to _your_ place? It’s in town, isn't it?" Zeb threw up a hand, palm towards the vaulted ceiling, as if they were arguing about something much more mundane -not where they would have fucked during this hypothetical date.

“Roy would have _killed_ me if we used his bed. I'm still sleeping on the futon… and I don’t think it would survive the both of us.”

Zeb laughed out loud at that.

So did Kallus.

* * *


	4. The Fireside

* * *

Kallus lay prone on the couch and began to regret his earlier assurance that he would be fine there and _not_ Zeb's own bed. It was comfortable enough at first; before the fire began to die down and the cabin got colder. There was also a cramp forming in his arm. Maybe he had hit it during his fall and was just now feeling the ache.

Kallus shifted his shoulders, the width of the couch leaving no room for movement. Roy's futon was not the most comfortable thing in the world, but right now he would take that over his current 'bed' in a heartbeat. He sighed with frustration.

At least the pillows were soft and smelled of Zeb. He had had to practically yank them (and the blanket) away from Zeb’s hands as they argued over who was going to take the bed and who was going to take the couch. Zeb was trying to be chivalrous but Kallus hadn't needed it. Or he _thought_ he hadn't, at the time.

Of course, the more plausible -but also more dangerous- solution was to _share_ the bed. But neither of them had voiced that aloud. Kallus regretted that too.

He had slept for an hour or two before he was awake again. He listened to the howling storm and watched the snow accumulate higher and higher outside the window. He stared at the exposed-wood ceiling and fiddled on his phone (texted Roy -again- that he was fine) before he decided not to waste the battery anymore.

Even in the dark he could make out objects in the cabin. He saw the little things -like the line of collected rocks and leaves on the mantle or the photographs pinned around a large cork-board with a paper calendar in the middle. He saw the big things… like the firefighters in those photographs; probably from Zeb's unit, probably all dead.

Being in Zeb's cabin, his home, was an intimate experience and he felt part intruder. He didn't feel like he belonged, and yet here he was; welcomed in by someone who had previously acted like they were mortal enemies. Then again, what choice did Zeb have _but_ to let him stay? When he had foolishly fallen on a dangerous trail during a snowstorm _and_ hindered their return to town? Still… here he was.

Kallus had been attracted before (who wouldn't be, he thought) but now he had that _feeling_ in the pit of his stomach that he actually _liked_ Garazeb - _Zeb-_ Orrelios. He wanted to get to know him, despite who they both were and how they had both acted towards each other. He wanted another chance at their date. He wanted an opportunity of sharing his bed with not an ounce of ' _chivalry'_ between them.

 _Fuck, why am I like this?_ He asked himself and scrubbed his hands down his face, rubbing at his tired eyes. _You want things you cannot have, Alexsandr, like always._

The lights were all out in the cabin, except for a singular one near the back door leading to the carport. When _that_ went out suddenly, Kallus frowned and sat up a little. Now the only thing illuminating the cabin was the small fire crackling in the fireplace. All the electronics were blank that he could see.

The bed creaked behind him and Kallus turned his neck enough to peer over the armrest of the couch and see movement under the blankets. He wondered if Zeb had intuitively awoken or if he was awake already, like _he_ had been.

In the stillness and quiet of the room, Zeb’s deep voice was a low rumble, “The power’s out I think.”

“Yes, I believe it is,” Kallus answered. He sat up and looked over his shoulder and watched as Zeb threw the blankets back and climbed out of bed.

His short-cropped, dark brown hair was sticking up in a few directions, his shirt riding up on the side, and it _all_ distracted Kallus for a good, long moment. Enough of a moment for him to miss what Zeb grumbled as he stalked past him.

"What?"

"Generator. Gonna go get it started and get more wood for the fire to keep this place warm." Zeb threw on his coat and didn't bother with socks or lacing his boots as he prepared to go outside.

When Zeb opened the door, even though he did so quickly, cold air still blasted it's way inside, dropping the temperature drastically in the small space. He quickly stepped out and closed the door behind him. Kallus shivered and watched through the windows as Zeb's figure moved under the carport.

A moment later, there was beeping and a hum of power from the appliances as they turned back on around the cabin. Zeb was back inside in another minute, split logs of wood under one strong arm, as if they weighed nothing. The dusting of snow over him was already melting, giving a shine to his hair and glow to his skin.

Damn it all, Roy was right, he _was_ a lumberjack fantasy. And damn it all, he realized, Zeb was _his_ type too.

Kallus watched, mesmerized, as he shucked his jacket and kicked off his snow encrusted boots at the door. He brought the wood over to the fireplace.

Zeb swept away the ashes and poked at the remaining embers and placed the new logs on. His hands moved with routine and care to bring the fire back to roaring life. It was obvious Zeb had a careful respect for the flames, and now Kallus knew _why._ He would know, better than anyone, of the dangers that they held. Kallus thought about what he had told him and wondered if the man still felt fear from it, even now.

The fireplace door shut and shook Kallus from his distraction. He looked away just as Zeb turned to face him, still on his haunches.

"How's yer knee feeling?" Zeb asked him, scooting a little closer, now just an arm's reach away.

"Sore still, uncomfortable, but it's to be expected." Kallus moved the blanket aside and touched near the brace -still underneath his sweatpants.

"Brace too tight?" Zeb asked and before he knew it, the big man had his own hands around his knee, feeling it and the surrounding area.

Their hands brushed in the process.

Zeb tilted his head before he then grabbed Kallus' hand back and held it between two delightfully warm palms. "You're freezing, mate! Why didn't you say something?"

Kallus felt flustered for a variety of reasons. "You were asleep, and I assure you I tend to run a bit colder than most. I was fine."

"Wasn't asleep, and that's bullshit," Zeb said and Kallus scoffed -even if he _was_ cold and decidedly _not_ fine.

"I am fine _here_ ," Kallus growled his lie, reluctantly yanking his hand back. "The fire is bigger now and it will be plenty warm."

"You're taking the bed."

"No-"

"You're taking. The bed." Zeb got that much closer, hands gripping the couch cushion on either side of his legs.

"What are you going to do? Pick me up and pin me to it?" Kallus sneered, or at least he tried to sneer. It was hard to even _breathe_ when Zeb was this close and leaning closer.

"Don't tempt me, Alex," Zeb warned, smoldering hazel eyes looking up at him with threatening intent.

 _Fuck,_ never had his name sounded so good as it did on Garazeb Orrelios' tongue. Oh, he wanted to tempt him.

The air itself seemed to move and change between them; the same way it did over an open flame.

This close, Kallus could smell the fresh wood and lingering smoke on the other man.

And in the next moment he _tasted_ it too -when he leaned forward to steal a fleeting, spontaneous kiss.

If Zeb was repulsed -or even surprised- by the small gesture, his face indicated none of it. Those beautiful eyes even sparkled as he said frankly, "We should just share."

"Yes, yes we should," Kallus said quickly before gripping the sides of Zeb's head to guide him into another kiss.

A long, savoring press of lips soon ignited into movement. Kallus' thumbs rubbed into the beard at Zeb's jaw, tilting his head back more so he could use his mouth and tongue to devour him. He changed the angle and a deep, appreciative moan came from Zeb's throat.

Two big hands slid up Kallus' knees and gripped his thighs to gently push them open. Zeb was now able to shift his body that much closer and their liplock deepened as he pressed him backwards.

Kallus gasped between their kisses, trying to catch his breath. But he didn't want to stop, even to breathe. He wanted to smother himself in the sensations and the _heat._

Those warm palms dragged up his torso, squeezed at his chest and pectorals before making their journey around his waist to _pull_ his hips forward. A hard, hot belly almost came flush with his crotch. His dick practically jumped to life in excitement.

"F- _fuck,"_ Kallus whispered to himself between fevered kisses.

"Didn't… hurt your knee, did I?" Zeb asked, breathless, and buried his head under his jaw to give attention to his neck.

"No, I'm just -just… _fuck,_ " Kallus wiggled his hips and wrapped his arms over Zeb's shoulders to bring him closer into an embrace.

"We're gonna fuck, don't worry," Zeb practically purred. He nipped at a sweet spot just under his ear and Kallus felt his temperature spike. He was definitely not cold anymore.

"I just hope this isn't embarrassingly short," Kallus told him, wondering if Zeb could feel how hard he was getting even through their layers of clothing.

"I've been half hard all evening." Zeb leaned back and craned his neck to peck wet kisses against his lips. "'Specially after all that talk about fucking against trucks. Kinda wanna break that futon in too."

"We would literally just break it," Kallus retorted with a smile. Zeb chuckled, bringing up a hand to pet through his blond locks, tucking strands back and away from his face.

"C'mon, let's get you pinned to the bed," Zeb said, smirking. He pulled away, and Kallus' hands slid down his arms as he stood up. He got a nice eyeful of the prominent tent forming in Zeb's flannel pants.

"Going to pick me up too?" Kallus challenged, looking up petulantly.

"I can," Zeb said with bravado and Kallus had no doubt all those muscles could indeed carry him over there. But Kallus' pride nagged at him.

"You've got lube?" Kallus instead asked, licking his kiss-swollen lips and daring to trail a finger along the waistband of Zeb's pants.

Zeb seemed to flounder a moment. "Y-yeah."

"Best go get it for me, for _us_ ," Kallus ordered and their eyes met for a tense moment before Zeb hurried away and towards the bedside table. Kallus bit his lip and followed after him, his walk stiff due to the brace, but it wasn't a far distance. There was still pain, but he had more pressing things to experience.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled up the back of his shirt to lift it and toss it off. Maybe he jumped the gun there, because a chill ran through him when his skin met the air. A small bit of hesitation hit Kallus as he slid the sweatpants off next.

"Now that's a sight," Zeb said with appreciation and tossed the bottle of lube and a couple condoms on the bed besides him.

The bigger man yanked his own shirt off, revealing a thick physique that was covered in an abundance of coarse, dark hair. Kallus couldn't remember why he thought he was hesitant before. He definitely wanted this. And from what he could tell, so did Zeb.

"This will be the last time I flash you these," Kallus said and hooked his thumbs into the top of the zebra printed briefs.

"For the record, I like the pattern but I also like 'em on _you_ and you only," Zeb praised and went to the end of the bed to assist in their removal. "Don't care if they're Roy's."

There was a bit of resistance to the fabric as it slid over the brace on his knee. Kallus hissed as a small jolt of pain shot up his leg. He winced when Zeb paused deliberately.

"It's okay, I'm fine. It may just… limit our _activities_ to certain positions," Kallus assured him, trying to sound sultry, "and there _are_ a great many of them that come to mind."

That eased the worry on Zeb's face and Kallus watched as he slid his own pants off with a confident leer. "Really? Like what?"

The darkness of the cabin only partially obscured Zeb's sizable cock, already almost at full mast. It was long and thick, much in proportion to the man it belonged to. Kallus' mouth watered. He had never had a partner with such a large _package_ before, and while he wanted nothing more than to stick that beautiful cock in every orifice he could, the time and care needed was not something he was currently patient enough for.

" _Alex_ ," Zeb sang and gave him a knowing smile. "Like _what_ , Alex?"

"Pin me to this bed and _ride me_ ," he instructed, looking up through his lashes at him.

"Alright," Zeb agreed, his eyes locking with his as he stepped forward, knees flush against the bed frame and mattress. Kallus' hands grabbed at Zeb's hips and coaxed him forward still, until their bodies began to meld together.

The heat and burn of their skin touching satisfied a deep need inside him, but soon that need cried out for _more._ Kallus gripped and stroked at his hulking frame with exploring hands.

Zeb eagerly helped Kallus crawl backwards and further into the center of the bed. When they reached the apex, Kallus flopped back, his head resting into a soft pillow. Zeb grabbed a couple more pillows and wedged them under his hurt knee to support it before straddling him fully.

Heavy thighs settled against his and with one hand steadying himself on the headboard above, Zeb leaned down to initiate some luscious kisses. Kallus sucked and gently bit at Zeb's lower lip, tugging it between his teeth. He released it and the big man made a sweet mewling sound as he chased after those lips and teeth to retaliate.

Kallus felt Zeb's other hand grip the back of his neck so that he could keep him steady as he kissed him harder. Kallus got lost in the sensation and scratched all ten of his fingers into Zeb's short curls on his head, fisting what he could to tug him closer still.

Yes, _yes,_ this is what he wanted.

Kallus reached down and adjusted his own dick so that it was next to Zeb's; which was a hot and prominent weight near his navel. He gave himself a few tugs before opting to feel Zeb's instead. It was heavy within his grip, and he felt precum wet his thumb. He smeared it over the tip with a firm swipe and then palmed and squeezed the head of Zeb's cock over and over in time to the beat of his racing heart.

Zeb gave a shaky gasp against his lips, a desperate grunt punctuating the sound. He began to undulate his hips ever so slightly, seeking more friction.

"The lube, the _fucking_ lube, I _need_ to be in you," Kallus panted and Zeb nodded hurriedly, his hand reaching over and finding the bottle.

Kallus found a condom in the sheets and ripped open the foil to hurriedly take it out and slide it on himself. Zeb's knuckles slid past his own so he could reach down and spread the lube at his entrance.

Kallus' vision was filled with a heaving chest and brown curls. Zeb huffed out hard gulps of air between them as he prepared himself. Kallus didn't mind any of that at all. What he _did_ mind was not being able to _watch_ as Zeb fingered himself open. He could hear the wet slide of fingers, squelching the lubricant around his entrance, delving in and out with purpose.

It didn't take more than a minute or two, but to Kallus it was an eternity. But he would gladly wait that eternity tenfold for Zeb; for the look on his face when he finally guided Kallus' dick back and sank down on it.

They both groaned as Zeb sat back slowly and Kallus slid _all the way_ to the hilt. Zeb's knees adjusted, spreading wider, and his back arched, head craning towards the ceiling.

" _Fu-uck_ , that feels good," Zeb groaned, placing his hands on Kallus' chest to anchor himself.

Kallus bit his lip hard, the sight of Zeb in such a state and the tight squeeze around his cock was almost too much all at once. When the big man set a hard, rhythmic grind atop him, he damn near lost his mind.

Kallus was dangerously close to coming already, so he tried to distract himself with math problems. Those always made him concentrate hard enough to divert his attention from things. _Odd numbers, odd numbers first… 1 times 1 is 1, 3 times 3 is 9, 9 times 9 is -wait I skipped 7. 7 times 7 is -fuck I skipped 5 too… 5 times 5 is 15 -no 25-_

"You _-ah!_ A-are you _counting_?" Zeb asked him, his voice stuttering every time he slammed his hips backwards.

_Shit._

Kallus snapped his mouth closed; he hadn't even realized he was doing that out loud. "Sorry, yes," he answered.

Zeb slowed to a stop and gazed down at him, his mouth slack as he breathed in and out quickly. He smiled toothily and bent forward, shifting close enough to give him a kiss. "Ya close, Alex? That why you're counting?"

"I usually have more stamina," Kallus said and reciprocated the kiss with one of his own, as if to apologize. Zeb's beard tickled at his chin as they continued to softly kiss each other.

"You don't need to hold it back," Zeb told him, dragging his lips across his cheek and jaw to suck on that spot below his ear again. Kallus' eyes fluttered shut and he moaned his pleasure as Zeb worked at the skin, sure to leave a mark by now.

Kallus wrapped his arms around Zeb's back, fingers dipping in the valley of his spine and smoothing up over his shoulder blades. "I want you to enjoy yourself. You feel so good, Zeb.”

“You feel good too -yer so deep,” Zeb cooed into his ear, rolling his hips to articulate that. Kallus almost _whimpered_ at the feeling of his cock sliding out and then pushing all the way back in. He bucked his hips upwards, the slap of skin to skin satisfying to feel and hear. “That’s it, don’t hold back, s’good.”

Kallus dug his heels into the mattress, ignoring the pang from his knee, and thrust up into Zeb. His hands went to the creases right under Zeb’s love-handles and gripped as best he could, his skin deliciously slick with sweat.

"That's it, yeah that's it, f- _fuck…_ " Zeb encouraged and with one last kiss he sat back up. He began a faster rhythm this time.

"Zeb, fucking _hell_ ," Kallus cried out and he ground his head back into the mattress as the release he was trying to delay quickly approached.

"Fuck yeah, fucking come babe," Zeb moaned loudly and the sweet endearment and urging fanned at his impending orgasm.

With a grunt, Kallus _did_ come -hard. For a blinding, satisfying moment, he didn't know up from down and the pain lingering in his knee disappeared completely. _Everything_ disappeared, in fact, except for the tingling bursts sparking through his entire groin.

His eyes had squeezed shut and when he had the semblance to open them again he saw, through the haze of bliss, Zeb trembling above him, one arm moving quickly. His eyes were hooded and he was looking down at him with pure adoration and lust as he fisted his cock with brutal impetus.

Kallus had gone soft within him, but was still buried deep. The bigger man sat there and twitched, his heavy breathing became shakier and shakier as he approached his own release. Kallus rubbed circles on the tense muscles of Zeb’s thighs and watched as the other man’s eyes rolled up and slammed closed as he came.

Hot ropes of spend painted Kallus’ chest and abdomen and he looked down to see Zeb milking every last drop out. Kallus felt a tingling aftershock of his own orgasm at the erotic display and clenching of muscles around his sensitive member.

He saw the moment Zeb fully relaxed, every tenseness slipping away and pure rapture smoothing the lines on his face.

“Fucking _gorgeous_ ,” Kallus said, only realizing too late he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

However, a dopey, adorable smile ticked at Zeb’s lips just after he said it, and those lovely hazel eyes peeked open.

Zeb rocked forward and Kallus slipped free from the warmth with a wet plop. He fell to his side, mindful not to land on top of Kallus, and rolled to lay on his back beside him.

It was silent in the room, but for the mix of their labored breathing and the crackle of the fire still blazing in the fireplace. Kallus willed himself to sit up and slide out of bed to clean the mess over his front and to dispose of the filled condom. He wanted nothing more than to just _sleep now_ but he couldn’t do that in his current state. Best get it over and done with and crawl back into bed.

His legs were still loose and shaky as he made his way into the bathroom and cleaned up. When he limped his way back to bed, Zeb was still laying in the same spot, gloriously naked on top of all the blankets and sheets, an arm thrown over his forehead.

Kallus sat on the bed and leaned across it sideways to place some appreciative kisses on his still-heaving chest. Zeb made a low groan and he felt a hand tangle and soothe into his mussed hair.

Then Kallus continued to kiss downwards, until he got to the head of Zeb’s cock, laying on his belly, spent and still dripping fluid. He lapped at the thick, bitter liquid there and gently cupped at the base to keep it steady as he did so.

He made wet, sucking sounds as he cleaned him and Zeb hissed at the overstimulation, but made no indication that he wanted him to stop. In fact, a big and warm, comforting hand smoothed across his shoulders and back, fingers running over his skin tenderly.

After a while, Zeb tapped his bicep and slurred out, “That’s ‘nuff, come up ‘ere.”

Kallus gladly shuffled his way up into Zeb’s awaiting arms, tucking himself into his side. They both wrestled the blankets over themselves and settled into a warm cocoon of fabric and flesh. Kallus let out a sigh of contentment and within minutes he was very soundly asleep.

* * *


	5. The Morning After

* * *

Zeb awoke on his side, a heavy arm wrapped around him from behind. The tickling puff of air against his neck almost startled him, until he remembered who was in bed with him. Alex…

A fond smile spread across his lips and he yawned quietly as he continued to wake up. Alex still seemed to be asleep, judging from his breathing pattern. He wanted to keep laying there, but it was well into morning and he desperately needed to piss.

Being as careful as he could, he left the warmth of his bed and his lover’s arms.

The cabin was chilly, but the heater was on and doing its share to heat the space. He would start another fire later on, but for now it was more than livable _-if_ he put some clothes back on.

 _That_ sounded unexciting, especially since he was already craving another round of sex, if Alex was up for it that was. He’d test the waters in a moment.

He did his business in the bathroom and made his way back towards his bed.

The bottle of lube had fallen on the floor, so he scooped it up and the unused condom to bring with him as he went to the opposite side of the bed. He set them on the bedside table within reach for when and if he would need them.

Zeb then molded his body to the back of his lover’s, snuggling flush against his resting form. He threw his arm over his and held his chest, the thick hair there pleasant to touch and feel. Alex stirred and sleepily mumbled a ‘good morning’ to him, a hand running up and down over his forearm.

“G’morning, Alex,” Zeb whispered into the back of his head. He sniffed at the mess of fine, blond hair tickling his face, kissing into it first before peppering more at the back of his neck and over a shoulder. In the dim light, he made out the finest smattering of freckles there, much like the ones on his handsome face.

“ _Zeb…_ ” Alex hummed and stirred further awake. His bare bottom came into contact with his crotch as he shifted further back into his body. Blood rushed _down_ quickly, and Zeb blinked at the lightheaded feeling he was left with.

When Alex took his hand in his and guided it down his body, Zeb nearly passed out as his cock swelled to full hardness, nestling firmly in the cleft between his partner's buttcheeks. He gave a tentative roll of his hips and he wedged himself deeper.

Alex's shaft was still soft as Zeb gripped and stroked him, running the pads of his fingers over the tip and trailing them down to fondle his balls. He quickly, but gently, roused it (and it’s owner) awake. Before long, the cock in his hand was fully erect and twitching, and the person it belonged to was writhing and moaning.

"Zeb, fuck me, _please_ ," Alex begged and reached back to grab at his own buttcheek to spread himself open. The blanket they were under had drifted down to just past their hips, allowing for _quite_ the view as he did that. With that kind of offering…

"I'll have to, uh… _prepare_ you. I'm kind of - _big._ " Zeb let go of Alex's dick to rest his hand on his hip, pushing it down so that he could use his thumb to lift up on enough flesh to get a proper look at that puckered hole of his.

"I'm well aware," Alex said and groaned with impatience. "You best get to it. I _need_ that cock of yours inside me. _Soon._ "

Zeb nearly fumbled in his haste to snatch the bottle of lube and the condom from the bedside table. He squeezed a generous portion onto his fingers, cursing when some of it dripped down onto the bed between them. He rubbed his fingers together, warming the cool substance.

Alex was watching over his shoulder, and Zeb got the distinct feeling he would start drumming his fingers on the bed at any moment if he didn’t hurry.

He adjusted himself on the bed, kicking the blankets down to their ankles, and got to work.

The elicit feeling of slipping his digits between that toned ass was satisfying in the way one would bury their hand in a barrel of grain. He worked his middle finger in first, the penetration tight and hot, and making Alex gasp out loud.

“Relax, Alex,” Zeb purred into his ear, licking at the shell of it. There was another gasp, but the ring of muscle _did_ loosen further. Without missing the opportunity, he slipped his pointer finger in too. He massaged the area with slow circles, every other rotation dipping in all the way to his knuckles and then pulling back again.

When he got a third finger in, his motions were advancing to a faster speed. He had to reapply some lube at this point, spreading it all around the area to be sure for an easy transition from fingers to something much more girthy.

Alex’s moans grew in pitch the further he stretched him. Zeb looked at his face, watching as his eyes scrunched shut, his teeth digging into his bottom lip. His long arm was stretched out and was gripping the edge of the bed with an iron tight grasp.

Just as he was about to ask him if he felt ready enough, Alex whimpered, “ _Please_ Zeb.”

“It’s comin’ babe,” Zeb said softly and his hand had to leave that perfect ass to get the condom on. He pumped his fist up and down his neglected cock and gripped the base to angle himself into alignment.

The head eased inside with little resistance at first. But when he continued to push in, he knew he was stretching Alex almost to the limit. He rubbed his hip in a mollifying gesture, burying his head against his shoulder.

“Yer takin’ me s’good.” He kissed his shoulder. “Yer so hot.” He kissed his neck. “So tight.”

He gave a small thrust and bobbed deeper. He repeated the move and went that much more in. The ring of muscle clenched around his girth and everything tingled pleasantly. He pulled out almost all the way and then plunged in further than he had before. He repeated this twice more before, with a gravelly moan, he slid _all the way_ in.

Alex was muttering and panting, head turned away, forehead digging into the mattress. His right hand was fisting the fitted sheet, knuckles white. Zeb worried for a moment it was too much for him. Then Alex undulated his hips back, initiating movement between them, and let out a whine of pleasure.

Zeb snapped his hips and Alex cried out in delight. That spurred him on to continue and soon the cabin was filled with the sound of their lovemaking; slapping flesh, loud moans and the slight thud of the bed as it rocked against the wall.

He pounded in and out, pressing further and further into Alex’s back, until he was all but fully on top of him. He entwined his right hand with Alex’s and straddled a leg over his and pinned him, belly down, on the bed.

“Ohh _shit_ , right there, right there _-there! There!_ ” Alex gasped and Zeb felt a tremor shiver up his body, making his hands shake. Zeb held on tighter and ground his cock against that spot in Alex that was making him shudder and come apart.

Alex cried out sharply and every muscle seemed to tense and jerk below him. Zeb continued to hammer into him, his thrusts erratic as sparks of sensation fired off -the embers burning their way down and through his entire shaft. He burst inside Alex’s glorious heat and he saw stars dance behind his lids.

He thought he must have blacked out for a moment, because his next brush with lucidity was the realization that his body was being shoved at, an elbow poking into his ribs.

"Zeb!" A voice growled.

With a jolt, he reared back from where he was crushing Alex beneath him.

“Fuck, sorry,” Zeb said and carefully slid out of Alex completely before he scooted over and let his lover roll onto his back.

He looked down at the wet mess of lube and cum and lamented the messiness of sex. It was worth it though; that’s what showers and laundry machines were for, right?

A hand came and wrapped around his neck to yank him back over for a sloppy kiss. “That was _very_ good. Except when you collapsed on me.”

“Said sorry,” Zeb pouted but also felt pride that he had given him such a pleasurable wake up. Alex had also come practically untouched and it must have been a 'good' one because his eyelashes still glimmered with tears and he looked blissed out of his mind.

"I suppose I will need another shower," he told him with a raised eyebrow and a reserved smile.

"I need one too. We should just share," he suggested with a waggle of his eyebrows.

The callback to those same words from the night before did not go unnoticed. Alex nodded in agreement with an exasperated, but also playful, expression. "Yes we should."

By the time they had both cleaned up, wandering hands gone pruney and the hot water almost completely used up during their shower, Zeb was _starving._ All the fucking must have worked up quite an appetite.

He helped Kallus get his knee brace back on and then started on making a hearty late breakfast for the both of them. He made waffles, eggs, and fried up some venison sausage he had been gifted earlier that week.

He couldn't help but steal fleeting glances over at Alex as he sat at the table, nursing a cup of coffee and watching him cook. He was dressed in more of his own clothing, the fabric looser around his frame, but still fitting fine.

Zeb had never seen him so relaxed and comfortable and he felt the pang of affection grip at his heart and threaten to yank it right out of his chest.

How long would it last before it all crumbled apart? Was this just a fleeting hookup due to strange and converging circumstances?

While they were both eating, Zeb made the decision not to think too hard about the future and just enjoy his time in the now with _Alexsandr_ Kallus (not _deputy_ Kallus) for as long as he could. Even if a relationship was inevitably doomed, they could still have last night; they could still have _today._

Zeb watched as he stacked his fork with equally portioned bits of each type of food on his plate before sticking it in his mouth. "This is good," Alex said after he swallowed.

Zeb wondered if he meant the food or _them._

"Yeah, it is," Zeb agreed, regardless of what he was referring to.

The rest of the morning's hours were spent surveying the 'damage' of the snowstorm outside and then listening to the radio reports, as the internet was down along with the power.

There was mention of the missing kids being found and of several power outages across the region due to some felled trees. Otherwise, the storm had passed and the weather forecast was simply: cold. There was also talk of staying off the roads as much as possible until plows could make their way around.

His generator was still running good, and after he replenished the fuel, he got to work with another fire inside.

Meanwhile, he couldn't help but listen in as Alex called Roy for a quick 'I'm alive but I have to go since my battery is dying' chat. From what he heard, he made no lasting mention of him or the fact they were now having sex.

Great sex, too. He hadn't felt this smitten and _hungry_ for another person in a long, long time. Hooking up had always been fun, sure, but the thought right now of fucking anyone _but_ Alexsandr Kallus seemed unappealing.

"Good- _bye_ , Fitzroy," Alex hung up the phone with a tap of his thumb and sighed. "Five percent. I don't suppose you have a charger for this?"

Zeb eyed the much fancier phone. "Nah, I got an older model. Barely use the thing. Sorry."

Alex sighed again and set his phone down on the coffee table. “I’ll assume Jarrus contacted my chief and told them the situation last night. I haven’t heard a word from _anyone_ at the station at all.”

He watched as Alex frowned into the distance, eyes on the fire, but not focused. He looked troubled. Zeb tried to lighten his mood. “No one wonderin’ where the handsome new guy got off to?”

“Obviously not,” he said with distaste. “I could be dead out on the Bahryn Trail and they probably wouldn’t notice.”

“An’ why’s that?” Zeb asked and joined him on the couch.

“I haven’t been the most… _friendly_ towards my coworkers.”

Zeb scoffed, remembering all too well their first encounter _and_ their blind date. “Towards anyone, really.”

“Yes,” Alex said with an air of apology, and those amber eyes looked over at him with a kind look. “I won’t make excuses for myself anymore, but I am sorry. _Again_.”

He patted the other man’s hand with his own. His brows ticked when he found his fingers to be cold. Zeb kept his hand there, trying to warm him up. “They should still worry. Your boss, your coworkers. No matter if you’re _friendly_ or not.”

Alex was silent for a moment, obviously lost in his thoughts. “I _have_ been holding everyone at arm’s length since I transferred.”

“Your… partner?” Zeb asked, hoping he didn’t regret the decision to bring him up. He knew, more than most, the fresh pain of loss -and that some things never ebbed away.

Just when he thought Alex would stay quiet, he spoke up, “His name was Onderon, Ron we all called him. He was boisterous, loud, a real troublemaker. It was a whirlwind, being his partner, being his friend, walking the ‘beat’ around the city. But we worked _well_ together.” He ran his other hand through his golden hair and let out a sad huff of air. “He didn’t even _care_ that I was gay, when he found out. Even tried to set me up with his wife’s brother.”

 _Wife,_ Zeb thought. Hadn’t he told him he had a crush on his partner? The weight of that realization clenched at his heart. “Did you love ‘im? Ron?”

“I think for a time I _thought_ I did, but it wasn’t love. Far from it.”

“What was it then?”

“Infatuation,” Alex said, and then bitterly followed with, “ _blinding_ infatuation. I thought I could _help_ him… when he started sleeping around -when he said he was unhappy with his marriage. I lied for him, _fought_ for him. He wasn’t a _good_ person, Ron… but I -I still… I wasn’t a good person either, so I continued on. I even _fucked_ the brother-in-law… I’d’ve done _anything_ to make him happy.”

Zeb tenderly rubbed over his knuckles with his thumb in soothing circles.

“I was distracted the night he was killed, thinking that I was finally going to confront him. I was going to tell him I was _through_ with his manipulations… I was going to tell him my true feelings, that I’d leave the force if I had to. One moment Ron was there, telling me of a pretty blond with big tits he met on this dating app, and the next moment -he just _wasn’t_.”

“Alex…” Zeb said, unsure what to say or offer beyond just being there.

The other man gave him a miserable smile. “Think you would have still stuck around had I mentioned all that on our blind date?”

Still unsure what to say, Zeb went for action. He cupped a hand across his cheek and turned his head to capture his lips with his own.

Zeb kissed Alex slowly, savoring every taste and every slide of tongue. He cradled his head with both his hands and his fingers smoothed into his soft hair as he continued to kiss him breathless.

Alex turned further to face him, his own hands firm around the back of his neck and head. Zeb could just make out the insistent mewls coming from the other man, soft and throaty in the quiet of the cabin.

The impromptu make-out session soon devolved to groping. Zeb gave a loud moan when one of Alex’s wandering hands quickly found its way _inside_ his pants. The sweet kisses from before escalated into the fevered pressing of lips and declarations of intent.

Before long, Zeb removed his jeans and boxers and straddled his lover on the couch _-after_ he had gotten the lube and a condom, that was. He was beginning to think he should just carry them around in his pocket from now on.

They must have looked quite the sight: Zeb undressed from the waist down and Alex still _fully_ dressed but for his pants pushed just far enough down for his dick and balls to be free. He was slouched far into the couch to accommodate Zeb’s equally large body as they coupled once more.

Zeb had thought _lazy_ afternoon sex by the fire would be the preferred pastime, but as he bounced and grinded on top of an equally enthusiastic Alex, he conceded _this_ to be superior.

The fireplace was warm at his back and Alex was downright scalding at his front, growling out praise and biting at his neck and battling his tongue against his own when he leaned in for a kiss.

Zeb's cock was pressed under Alex's shirt, sliding in the dip at his abs and rubbing against the thick patches of hair up along his chest.

"Ride me, ride me Zeb!" Alex gave his ass a slapping squeeze, both of his hands down and assisting in his movement.

"Fuck yeah, ya want it, eh?" Zeb groaned, his voice deep and rough from overuse.

"Yes I want it, ga -give it to me! Ride me hard, Zeb!"

He gripped the back of the couch and went harder as instructed. Fuck, he loved to hear Alex’s voice break like that; sound so vulnerable but still in such clear command of his needs and desires.

His leg muscles burned with exertion, but it was the good kind of burn. He knew that they, and every muscle in his body, would soon reach the peak of pleasure and he would turn into a loose puddle of euphoria. He chased after that feeling, heedless of his speed, until he was _almost there…_

One hand had to leave the back of the couch so he could clench a fist and jerk at the tip of his cock to narrow the window of his orgasm. He felt his balls contract and then he spurted his release all over the front of his lover.

Zeb gave a moan at every tingling discharge of his spend until he was dry and gasping for breath, as his body indeed relaxed and turned to liquid. He felt heavy, satiated, but also aware of the cock still hard and still buried deep inside his ass.

He wasn’t sure if he could keep riding with his legs feeling like jelly, so he pulled off Alex’s shaft and slid to the floor, in between his legs. When it was clear what his intentions were, Alex hastily removed the condom for him and he leaned in.

He didn’t bother with a show or a lengthy act of drawing out the pleasure. He knew Alex was close and he wanted him to come; he wanted to give that to him as quickly as he could.

Zeb suckled at the tip and bobbed his head above the hand he was using to hold him. His cock tasted of the condom, but he also tasted pleasantly salty and distinctly heady. There was a sweet, musky scent as well that wafted up to his nose as he engulfed the other man’s length into his mouth.

“Oh _Zeb_ -my Zeb- oh _fuck_ ,” Alex crooned above him, and Zeb shivered when he felt hands tangle into his hair and fingernails scrape across his scalp.

‘ _My_ Zeb’ he had said. Zeb thought that sounded kinda nice.

“I’m coming, I’m coming… _fu-ck!_ ” Alex cried out.

Zeb hummed and sucked harder at the head of his cock, working faster and faster until the hands in his hair clenched and a burst of semen coated his tongue.

It wasn’t his favorite taste in the world, but he swallowed anyway and wiped at his mouth after pulling away. The hands in his hair released their hold and Zeb looked up at the absolutely debauched sight of Alexsandr Kallus with his pants around his thighs and his chest covered in cum. He was breathing hard, irises blown wide, and there was a rosy glow to his fair skin.

If Zeb could have fucked him again, right then and there, he would have. But as it was, he could barely even move _himself_ , let alone rouse his dick up for another round. He leaned his head against Alex’s good knee and waited until he was confident he could stand again before he helped clean them both up.

After Alex’s third shower (and his second) in 24 hours, Zeb had the thought that maybe they should lay off the sex. _At least_ until the load of laundry was finished drying.

The evening soon approached, and after dinner, when it seemed Alex would spend another night -since the roads were still bad up the mountain- they fucked again.

This time they did it at the end of the bed, with Alex’s legs slung over his arms, the brace on his knee rubbing into his elbow.

This time they went _slowly_ , with Zeb’s feet planted on the creaking wooden floorboards as he rolled his hips forward and back.

 _This time_ Zeb wondered if this would be their last time together like this.

It was.

When morning came, he was at least thankful they hadn't slept naked that night because Kanan Jarrus had a key to his place -for emergencies- and came bursting in right around 9am.

Zeb sat up in bed, already startled awake by the sound of a key turning in his lock at the front door. He blinked blearily at Kanan, the other ranger giving him a relieved smile.

“Hey buddy! I’m here to pick up your stray dep-”

Alex sat up in bed next to Zeb.

Kanan’s smile morphed into a strange mix of horror, shock and amusement. “I’ll uh… I’ll uh -just go tell Hera you’re _all_ okay.” He gestured with his thumb behind him and stared at Alex. “We’ll be waiting in the truck when you’re ready to go.”

When Kanan made a hasty exit, the both of them said in unison: “ _Fuck_.”

Zeb found Alex’s hand below the covers and gave it a squeeze. “I told him I’d bring you when the roads were safe. Guess he was just impatient.”

“He probably thought we were driving each other mad. It was no secret we weren't on the best of terms,” Alex said, his voice calm despite looking like he wanted to run away. “And no doubt Roy worried the hell out of them since my phone died yesterday.”

“And I haven’t checked mine since yesterday, either. Shit. Guess I should have,” Zeb rubbed at the back of his neck.

Questions raced through his mind. What now? Was this it? Were they going to go back to their normal lives, their ‘normal’ animosity? Or had things changed? Would they see each other again, _should_ they see each other again? Could they make it work?

It was too late to ask them, and really -he had _put off_ asking them; too scared of the answers he might have to face.

They both dressed in silence, Zeb fetching his uniform and all the other things around the cabin for him while he sat on the edge of the bed.

When Alex was ready, Zeb secured his beanie over his head with care to cover his ears. He now looked exactly how he had when he had first stepped into his cabin. But even with his badge and his holster and his uniform, now all Zeb saw was _Alex_.

The other man touched at the beanie as if to question him, since it wasn't his.

“Keep it,” Zeb said softly.

Alex surprised him, when he responded by leaning forward and giving him a quick peck on the lips. When he pulled back, he looked sad for a moment, like he wanted to say something important. But in the end, all he said was a quiet, "Thank you."

Zeb watched as he plastered on a stoic, serious expression and squared his shoulders, becoming _Kallus_ again. But Zeb still saw Alex. _His_ Alex.

Zeb helped him limp down the front porch and across the snowy ground to Hera’s massive truck with a snow plow attachment on the front. He assisted in getting him in the passenger side seat and said a few greetings to Hera as he did so. If Kanan had said anything to her about what he had walked in and saw, she made no indication of it.

“Be careful,” Zeb said to the three of them, holding on to the door of the truck, looking only at Alex.

“We will, don’t worry,” Kanan replied, placing a friendly hand on Zeb’s shoulder. He gave him a poignant look between him and the front seat’s occupant.

Zeb ignored him, and with one last look up at Alex, he slammed the door closed.

Words choked in his throat as he waved at them over his shoulder and hurried back inside his empty cabin. Alone.

* * *


	6. The Second Date

* * *

Kallus tried to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the shiny metal clock above the bar. He frowned, hand in his hair -trying to fix it to look casual and attractive. It was hard to do in the dim lighting of _The Cowboy_ , not to mention with a fussing cousin at his side as well.

“You look fine Alex!” Roy swatted at his hand, but then made adjustments of his own. He untucked one chunk of hair and angled it _just so_ to dangle right in front of his eye. “There, perfect. So hot.”

“Thanks,” Kallus said dryly and tried to ignore the tickle the hair made against his eyebrow and cheek.

“No prob,” Roy replied, ignoring his frown. “It’s good to have you back in town. The futon’s missed you.”

“I don’t know which is worse, _that_ or the shoddy Garel hotel mattresses.” Kallus thought of his time in the neighboring town with distaste. While Garel had the better rehabilitation centers and hospitals, it lacked the quaint and charming atmosphere of Lothal, where even the cheapest hotels had cozy, comfortable amenities.

“Well, I missed you, too,” Roy said with sincerity that Kallus still had trouble accepting. Their family had never been the type for such open affection.

“Same, Fitzroy.” Kallus smiled at his cousin and he beamed back at him with a thousand-watt smile of his own.

“So, what made you want to try this dating thing again? I thought last time was pretty disastrous!”

“It was,” Kallus agreed. “But things change between people, even people like me and Zeb.”

“Are you _ever_ going to tell me what happened between you and Zebby up there during the storm?” Roy stomped his foot on the wooden planks of the floor.

“Nope,” Kallus said after pretending to consider it. He didn’t think there would ever be a day he would tell Roy the full disclosure of his stay in Zeb’s cabin. Would Roy even _believe_ him if he told him they had fucked like their lives depended on it? That it had been some of the best sex in his entire life?

“Hm, shame… but! Maybe I’ll just ask him myself.” Roy waved to someone behind him.

Kallus felt his heart hammer in his chest and butterflies dance low in his belly. He took a steadying breath before turning around and taking in the breathtaking sight of Garazeb Orrelios walking into the bar, in all his lumberjack fantasy glory.

He had on a dark purple flannel shirt with lime green accent lines and a fitted pair of black jeans. His boots even looked like they had been recently cleaned up. His hair was slightly longer than he remembered, and Kallus’ was too. It _had_ been over a month since they had last seen each other; since their time at his cabin.

Their eyes locked as Zeb came closer, a fond look on his face. They only left his own when Roy got his attention. “Heya Zebby!”

“Heya Roy,” Zeb said and gave the man an easy hug. Then he turned to Kallus. “Hi Alex.”

“Hello, Zeb,” Kallus answered back, and _their_ hug was not as easy as Roy’s had been. In fact, they fumbled a bit into an awkward embrace that lasted one beat too long. Or perhaps it was one beat too fast.

Roy seemed to sense the vibe and said, with mirth, "I'll bring your usual drinks over in… fifteen minutes? Have fun you two!"

His cousin flitted back behind the bar and pretended to leave them alone as they both took a seat at the bar, their stools close but a respectful distance apart.

"Fifteen minutes," Zeb remarked with a teasing smile. "Think we can handle it?"

Kallus let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and tried to relax. "We managed to handle two days with each other just fine."

"Yeah, yeah we did," Zeb replied and chewed on his bottom lip.

Kallus swallowed and fought the blush creeping to his cheeks. A string of carnal memories came flooding back to him. _Keep it together,_ he told himself.

Zeb cleared his throat and shifted on the barstool before looking down to Kallus’ right leg. His hand reached out, looking like he wanted to touch it, but he stopped just short and simply gestured at it. "How's the dislocated patella?"

Kallus put his own hand on the knee and gripped it. "Better. There was a hairline fracture as well, so that will take longer to heal."

"Which hospital they send you to? Garel General?"

"Yes. It was the closest."

"They put you up in some shitty hotel?" Zeb asked and Kallus nodded dismally. “I woulda -um- I woulda tried to contact you, go see how you were doin’ but…”

“You were busy here,” Kallus provided for him, hoping that was the only reason for their loss of contact. He had wondered -during those lonely nights in Garel- if what they shared had been an isolated event; one that would never be repeated.

“Yeah, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how you felt about… us. If there _was_ an us.”

“And how do _you_ feel about an us?” Kallus asked, careful not to reveal something that might not be reciprocated.

Zeb tilted his head and thought for a moment. “We had a good time together. The sex was great.”

Kallus snorted out a small laugh and almost rolled his eyes, continuing to fight his blush. “Yes, the sex was quite excellent. Even when you accidentally smothered me.”

“I’m sorry! How many times d’ya gotta hear it?” Zeb exclaimed and smiled wide.

“Once more,” Kallus teased slyly.

“I’m _sorry_ ,” Zeb said with mocking sweetness, “I’m sorry for almost smothering you when that tight ass of yours made me come so hard I blacked out.”

Kallus felt his cheeks burn hot. He hoped Roy hadn’t eavesdropped and heard _that_. When something fell behind him, he closed his eyes in mourning -because he was going to get _interrogated_ when he got back home.

“Anyway,” Zeb said, his smile fading, “to answer your question, I feel… I _want_ you. I _want_ an us. But…”

Kallus felt his stomach drop. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe he had made a mistake asking Roy to set this up for him. _Fuck…_

“I dunno if I’m even _ready_ for an us, no matter what I _want_.” Zeb rubbed the back of his neck and looked out into the bar, his hazel eyes reflecting the string-lights around the bar.

How different, but how similar it was to his own issues, Kallus thought. He always wanted what he couldn’t have. Zeb wanted things he wasn’t ready for.

“Being a firefighter,” Zeb continued on, “I was never alone. My unit, we were more than just colleagues. We were friends, we were _family_. There was always _someone_ at the house, _someone_ to go camping with, be it one a them -hangin’, chillin’, talkin’ shit- or my boyfriend of the week. Sometimes I had the occasional girlfriend, too.”

His hand twitched, and Kallus fought the urge to _touch_ Zeb then, if only to soothe the troubled look on his face.

“So when that _fire_ took them all away, I was left -I dunno… I was reassigned to another station, but nothing was the same. Everyone treated me like I was glass. I couldn’t even… _fuck…_ I -I couldn’t even get it up sometimes with my partners. I couldn’t even do _my job_ because I kept flashing back to the fire. I couldn’t connect to anyone, because what if _them too?_ ”

This time Kallus didn’t hesitate, and he eased a hand over Zeb’s, comforting him as he had done for him back in the cabin when he told him about Ron. Zeb looked down at their hands and turned it so their palms met.

“So you left and became a ranger?”

Zeb nodded. “Kanan was an old college friend of one of the guys from my old unit. We had met a few times at big gatherings, but were nothing more than casual friends _-if_ that. But he contacted me out of the blue one day. He told me of a position that was opening up here in Lothal, but it wouldn’t be for another year or two. I thought a change of _-_ well _everything-_ would be good. So I went and did my training and now I’m here.”

Kallus thought of a Zeb, happy and free with so many friends and lovers, being stripped of all that in one swipe. How lonely -how devastating- that would have been. “You’re here, and you’re afraid. That it’ll happen again. That you’re just filling a void only for it to be upended again.”

Zeb looked at him like he just realized that himself. “Yeah, and I don’t want you to feel that I’m just using you to fill that void. I’m lonely, I’ve been lonely since I lost them, but I’m not sure I’m ready to burden someone -make them think- that’s all I am, that’s all I’m doing. Cuz maybe I am. And who would stick around after hearing that? Who’d want an us with me?”

Kallus felt the hand in his try to pull away, but he just held on tighter. _Time to scandalize Roy further_ , he thought to himself as he left his seat and went to kiss Zeb squarely on the lips.

After his initial surprise, Zeb melted into the kiss, burying his hands into his hair, thoroughly messing up all the work he put into it. Kallus held his head tenderly and put as much emotion as he could into their kiss.

Zeb moaned into his mouth when Kallus wrapped his arms around his shoulders and wedged himself between his legs. His beard scratched at his chin pleasantly as their lips moved with increasing fervor. Zeb’s lips were plush and his tongue wet and teasing against his own and _fuck, he had missed this_.

When they finally parted for breath, Kallus tucked his head against Zeb’s and gave him a proper hug -much improved from the initial one.

“I want an us,” Kallus whispered into his ear and gave his cheek a loving kiss, “I want to try an us.”

“Yeah, me too,” Zeb said sincerely and tilted his head to bring their lips back together.

They continued to kiss even when Roy hopped his way over with their drinks right at the fifteen minute mark. He might have said something, but Kallus was too engrossed in the touch and feel of Zeb and his arms wound around him. He flounced away, chittering happily after what Kallus suspected was a selfie being taken, if the faint flash was any indication.

Two big hands found their way to his ass cheeks and gave them a squeeze. Suddenly the black jeans he was wearing seemed _very_ tight and he let out a quiet moan into the shell of Zeb’s ear.

“Get a room you two!” Someone jovially said across the room. Hmm, Kallus thought, that sounded like a good idea, actually.

Kallus pulled back from Zeb and gave him a mischievous smirk. “You drive your truck here?”

Zeb’s eyes were slightly glazed over, but they widened when he realized what he was implying. “Yeah, it’s parked ‘round back.”

“It’s not too cold out for you?” Kallus asked, taunting him.

“I need a bit of fresh air,” Zeb said with a feigned shrug of nonchalance. He got off his stool and began to lead the way towards the exit.

As they walked by Roy, he was smiling, but also pointed out that they hadn’t paid for their drinks.

“Give us fifteen minutes,” Zeb told him smugly, ushering Kallus out the door. “We’ll be back.”

Kallus soon found himself in the secluded back parking lot, against the cold metal of the driver’s side door of Zeb’s truck, and being kissed and touched with a fevered passion.

It was indeed cold out, especially now that the sun had set behind the Geonosis mountains. Hot puffs of breath were visible between them in the still winter’s air, but Kallus didn’t think he could wait for them to drive somewhere, much less get inside the cab. Besides, he had a feeling Zeb was more excited about this than he was.

“Fuck, I missed ya Alex,” Zeb groaned into his neck, where he was sucking and nipping at that spot that drove him wild.

“Oh Zeb,” Kallus answered him, running his hands all over his arms and chest, fisting the fabric of his shirt to pull him closer. “ _My Zeb_.”

Zeb gave him a very ardent kiss and said against his lips, “You don’t know what that does to me. When you say that.”

“I think I have some idea,” Kallus said and reached down to cup his hardening length. He stroked up and down, and he could just imagine that glorious cock swelling to fullness. “We only have ten minutes, _my Zeb_.”

“Ya really want to _-here_?” Even as Zeb asked that, he was unblocking his belt and undoing his pants. Kallus almost laughed out loud at that.

“Yes, here.” He began to untuck his dress shirt from his own jeans.

“But anyone could walk back here an’ see us. Wouldn’t be good for an officer to be caught like this, even off duty.” Zeb took over and undid Kallus’ pants for him.

“I’m leaving. As soon as I’m finished with a few things,” Kallus admitted and Zeb stilled his hands. He looked at him with wide, worried eyes.

“ _Leaving_? But-”

“Oh! Not leaving Lothal! Leaving the station, being an officer. Thought I’d try something new.” Kallus held Zeb’s jaw and ran fingers over his brows to ease his fretting. “Thought maybe I could look at being… a ranger.”

Zeb’s face lit up with exuberance. He kissed him with a smile still on his lips. Kallus matched that smile with one of his own as they continued to happily kiss each other, forgetting about their self-imposed time constraints.

That was until Roy came around the truck to clear his throat and point to his watch. “Fifteen minutes guys! Get your asses back inside or - _hey!_ Are those _mine_?”

“Fuck!” Kallus cursed and started to redo his pants, embarrassed that Roy had not only gotten quite an eyeful, but also saw that he had officially stolen the zebra striped briefs.

Zeb was chuckling and licking at his kiss-swollen lips as he straightened his own clothes and eyed Kallus’ crotch the entire time he did so. Kallus gave him a tetchy glare as he tucked his shirt back in.

Roy crossed his arms as he waited for them like some school marm. When they were both presentable enough, he turned around to lead the way back into _The Cowboy_.

Kallus and Zeb walked side by side back through the parking lot, their hands finding eachother’s in the cold, darkening night.

* * *


End file.
